Conway (Conwy) Castle

 

W. W. Acock

 

c. 1870  

ink and watercolor wash drawing 

5 1/2 x 7 3/4" (14.0 x 19.7 cm) [image and paper] 

lower right 

 

title in lower right 

 

thick gray-blue wove 

 

 

20654 

SOLD

Little is known about the artist W.W. Acock. He was active in england in the 1870s and then was active in Tasmania in the 1890s. This wash drawing is of Conwy Castle (Conway, in English) in North Wales. It was built by Edward I during his conquest of Wales, between 1283 and 1289. Constructed as part of a wider project to create the walled town of Conwy, the combined defenses cost around £15,000, a huge sum for the period. Over the next few centuries, the castle played an important part in several wars. It withstood the siege of Madog ap Llywelyn in the winter of 1294–95, acted as a temporary haven for Richard II in 1399 and was held for several months by forces loyal to Owain Glyndwr in 1401. UNESCO considers Conwy to be one of "the finest examples of late 13th century and early 14th century military architecture in Europe." The suspension bridge connects the castle with the main peninsula.